The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced its 2026 construction program on March 31, outlining more than 200 state highway and bridge projects along with 51 additional efforts targeting airports, water ports, railroad crossings and transit facilities across the state.
Officials said the full program carries a price tag of roughly $1.5 billion, a figure described as consistent with recent years. The season features a mix of new undertakings and the final phases of multiyear efforts.
Among the highest-profile items are the conclusion of the $377 million Interstate 494 reconstruction between Edina and Richfield, which is one of the largest single projects in MnDOT’s history, and the start of a $200 million, four-year overhaul of Highway 65 in Blaine. That project will convert four signalized intersections into grade-separated interchanges.
According to MnDOT, the Edina to Richfield project is expected to wrap up by fall 2026. It is the first of four planned construction phases along I-494 between Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Highway 169. The project added E-ZPass managed lanes in both directions from Highway 100 to Interstate 35W, installed a new flyover ramp at the I-35W/I-494 interchange and replaced bridges at Portland Avenue, Nicollet Avenue and 12th Avenue. A new pedestrian bridge was also added at Chicago Avenue. Construction began in spring 2023 and phase two is expected to begin in 2027.
The $200 million Blaine project is a four-year effort beginning in 2026 that will rebuild Highway 65 into a freeway-design corridor with grade-separated interchanges at 99th, 105th, 109th and 117th avenues between 97th Avenue and 125th Avenue/Main Street, according to MnDOT and the City of Blaine. The project also includes frontage road construction to reroute local street and driveway connections.
Funding comes from a combination of federal grants, state trunk highway bonds and local contributions, with the state legislature approving $102.75 million in 2023 and a $20 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant also secured that year.
The following projects round out the largest individual investments active during the 2026 season, according to MnDOT:
- I-94 Gap expansion, Albertville to Monticello ($76 million): A project to widen roughly 10 miles of Interstate 94 from four to six lanes, with all lanes expected to open by late fall 2026
- Rochester International Airport runway reconstruction ($71.6 million total): A multiyear runway rebuild running from spring 2026 through fall 2028, with MnDOT contributing $7.1 million alongside a separate $13.8 million general aviation apron expansion at the same facility
- Highway 169/Highway 282 interchange in Jordan ($62.5 million): An ongoing effort in southern Scott County that includes a new interchange, two bridges, two roundabouts and a pedestrian tunnel, with work expected to continue through 2027
- Highway 210/Washington Street reconstruction in Brainerd ($46 million to $51.3 million estimated): A two-year corridor rebuild between Baxter Drive and Pine Shores Road that includes Mississippi River bridge updates and two new roundabouts
- St. Paul Barge Terminal 2 dock wall reconstruction ($13 million total): A St. Paul Port Authority-led dock wall replacement and safety improvement project running from 2025 through 2027, with $4 million allocated in 2026
MnDOT also listed 51 non-highway projects covering transit, airports, ports and railroad crossings. Notable items include the Rochester airport projects mentioned above, a $10.2 million air traffic control tower replacement at Duluth International Airport and multiple railroad signal upgrades across the state.
Beyond the major investments listed above, several new projects are set to break ground this year. MnDOT plans to begin a multiyear reconstruction of Highway 197 in Bemidji that includes six new roundabouts and pedestrian accessibility improvements, with work expected to last through fall 2027. In Duluth, crews will repave and install new roundabouts along Highway 61/London Road, and in Wayzata and Minnetonka, a section of Highway 12 originally built in 1970 will be reconstructed. The Wabasha Port Authority will also begin construction on a new barge terminal, a $5.7 million effort running through 2028.
Photo by StockSnap from Pixabay
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